View all the journal prompts inside the Simplicity Challenge here
Accessing my playful and childlike side has been a top priority for me in this series.
But when I started braindumping this idea on ChatGPT I found myself saying:
“I don't know if I was ever really playful as a kid. Can you help me unlock my playful side?”
The chat sent back this series of questions:
When do you feel the most alive in your body — not productive, just here?
What’s something you secretly love doing that serves no purpose?
What would your “inner 8-year-old” do with a free afternoon?
(Imagine: no one to take care of, no expectations — just space to explore.)My answer: I don’t even remember what I liked at 8 years old
If you didn’t have to be the responsible one today, what would you try or do differently?
I answered and ChatGPT’s response surprised me… it categorized my activities into different types of play?
🎨 1. Creative Play
Purpose: Expression, imagination, making something for the joy of it
Looks like:
Journaling freely, painting, coloring, creative writing
Making videos, designing graphics, curating a vibe
You feel: Flowy, expressive, inspired, absorbed
🧩 2. Constructive Play
Purpose: Building, designing, organizing — not for output, but fun
Looks like:
Building your back deck or the kid’s lofted beds
Designing your magazine
You feel: Calm, purposeful, focused (without pressure)
💫 3. Imaginative Play
Purpose: Pretending, dreaming, visioning
Looks like:
Dreaming into a new version of your life by curating your Pinterest boards
Looking on Airbnb and Outdoorsy to ideate your next trip
You feel: Expansive, dreamy, curious
🧘♀️ 4. Physical/Body-Based Play
Purpose: Feeling your body move in joyful, unstructured ways
Looks like:
Wiffleball or disc golf in the backyard
Paddleboarding on the lake
You feel: Light, present, alive
🤝 5. Social Play
Purpose: Connection, silliness, bonding
Looks like:
Voxing friends
Sharing a funny video + laughing at inside jokes
You feel: Seen, connected, not alone
📚 6. Narrative/Story Play
Purpose: Playing with meaning, story, and reflection
Looks like:
Creating your daily cinematic vlogs
You feel: Empowered, clear, intentional
By definition play= doing something just for enjoyment. And while the clarity that: I do/did play- was nice. It really made me realize…
When I say I want to be more playful and childlike it’s less about what I'm doing and more about a feeling. Of lightness- pure joy, less gripping, stress and pressure.
For me, it’s not about finding time to squeeze a few kid-like activities into my day (that doesn’t feel playful but like checking off a to-do list item.) Instead it’s about feeling and expressing myself more like they do:
Relaxing
Laughing
Gripping less
Finding pure joy throughout the day
Right now I find glimmers of that- but mostly feel like I’m in “uptight mom mode”
Feeling the pressure of raising kind, resilient, creative, helpful humans
Worried that every little unkind response they have- needs to be corrected
Trying to breathe and remember Dr. Becky’s scripts
Managing sibling bickering and big feelings
Wishing they could see the fun side of me but instead letting the weight of parenting dictate my mood
and then I saw this quote and it named that missing link for me:
With my new definition of playful set: softening my mood + days to be more fun, free, easeful and filled with laughter and enjoyment. I then moved through the journal prompts found below to declutter: my mindset, old narratives, my schedule and things to get here.
Want to soften your mood + days too? Join us↓
The Summer Simplicity Challenge✨ is an invitation to pause, reflect and take aligned steps toward a slower, more intentional life within a community of women craving more ease, presence, and intentionality- just like you.
Join our community and receive access to this series of audio journal entries, thoughtful prompts, and gentle conversation starters as we declutter and simplify our worlds together.
What does my body need right now to soften just a little?
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